Airplane



Oct; 13, 1931. J. D. RAUCH 1,827,433

' AIRPLANE Filed Sept. 10, 19 28 2 Sheets-Sheet l F, iwewto/j Wws John, D.

J. D. RAUCH Oct. 13, 1931.

AIRPLANE Filed Sept. 10, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5% NQW .KN)

Patented 0.1. 13, 1931 1 1,827,438

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN D. moon, or 11111, OHIO AIRPLANE Application filed September 10, 1928. Serial No. 305,061.

This invention relates to improvements in as shown in Figures 1 and 2. This pressure alrplanes, and more particularly to propul- Valve may be of any well known form to autosion devices therefor, and has for its princimatically maintain a predetermined pressure pal ob ect to provide an improved system of in the high pressure line 30, such as illus- 5 airplane propulsion mechanism utilizing hytrated in detail in my copending application so draulic power transmission wherein a single bearing SerialNumber 189,849, filed May 9, driving motor may be utilized in connection 1927. Such valves are well known in the art wlth a plurality of propellers which can be and details need not be herein shown or deoutin and out individually or collectively as scribed. The arrangement is such that upon des red excess pressure produced in the manifold 31, 60

Other objects of the invention will appear the pressure will be relieved through the from time to,-time as the following descrippressure valve 32 and permit the liquid to tion proceeds. escape through the relief manifold 33 and The invention may best be understood by from thence to a low pressure'pipe 34. The reference to the accompanying drawings in low pressure pipe returns rearwardly and up- 66 which wardly to a low pressure tank 35 preferably Figure 1 is a skeletonized view of an airarranged in a relatively high position, as for plane to which my improved form of propulinstance, near the upper wing 12, as shown in slon device has been applied. Figure 1 so that the tank is at or above the Figure 2 is an'enlarg'ed side view of the normal level of all of the hydraulically oper-- main pump and motor and supply lines conated control members. A supply pipe 36 nected to one of the propeller motors. leads from the supply tank 35 to the inlet Figure 3 is a vertical section of one form port 23 of the main hydraulic motor 17. Of hydraulic pump or motor which may be Connected with the pressure manifold 31 utilized as the main pressure pump or as one and in parallel between said pressure mani- 7 of the motors for actuating the propellers. fold and the relief manifold 33, I provide a Figure .4 is ahorizontal section of the pump plurality of pipes 40, 41 and 42, respectively or motor shown in Figure 3. having a control valve 40a, 41a and 42a there- Figure 5 is a detail sectional view of a fourin arranged to supply circuits to respective Way valve of the type used for controlling propeller motors b, 41b and 42?). Each of the pressure to the propellers. these motors referred to may be similar in Referring now to the details shown in the construction to thepump 17 but are now utidrawings, the airplane shown in skeletonizedlized as motors and are connected respecform -'in Figure 1 comprises a fuselage 10 tively by supply pipes 400, 4011, 410, 41d and 35 with atailpiece 11 and upper and lower wings 420, 42d to their control valves 40a, 41a and 12 and ,13, respectively. In my improved 42a. These valves are of the four-way type construction a single engine or prime mover, as shown in detail in Figure 5, and arrange herein of the internal combustion type, is inso that pressure may be applied to either pipe dicated at 15 and is arranged to drive a hy- 400 or 40d from the pressure pipe line draulic pressure pump indicated at 17 as for connected to the pressure manifold 31, de-. 9 instance, directly through suitabledrive shaft pending upon the position of the control han- 16. The pump herein illustrated is of the dle 45. It will be understood that when the well known rotor type shown in detail in valve is arranged so as to supply pressure to Figures 3 and 4 and consists of a pair of one of the pipes, as for instance 400 or 40d, the meshed rotors 20 and 21 in casing 22 having other pipewill be connected through the fourinlet and outlet ports 23 and 24 arranged in way valve to the relief or low pressure side the usual manner to produce a pressure on a of the connecting pipe 41, and vice versa. liquid, such as oil, when the rotors are driven. Furthermore, each of the valve handles may An outlet or high pressure pipe 30 leads to a be moved to an ofi position.

manifold 31 and through a pressure valve 32, With the construction above'described, the- 0 mamas 1 several propellers 50, 51 and 52 may be controlled at will, and the number of such propellers may be increased or decreased as desired. In all cases, the propellers can be operated at full or varying speeds, or entirely turned off by manipulation of their valves.

Furthermore, the propellers are capable of being reversed, as for instance, for retarding the movement of the airplane during landing. m A further advantage of my improved transmission device is that it permits the placing of the gasoline engine or prime mover 15 at a most advantageous posltion toward the rear of the plane, which, under some con- 15 ditions, gives better weight distribution of the heavy parts and at all events does not confine the motor to the front forward end of the body of the fuselage as in present con structions. It also permits the use of a sin- 30 gle motor with a plurality of propellers to reduce the motor weight now necessary when a motor is required for each propeller.

I claim:

1. In an airplane having laterally extending wings, a plurality of propellers each pro vided with a hydraulic motor supported in laterally spaced relation on said wings and hydraulic transmission system for said propeller motors including a centrally disposed 50 motor and a pump driven thereby, a high pressure line, a pressure valve, a low pressure line, and independent control means operatively connected with each of said propeller motors and interposed in parallel between 35 said high and low pressure lines.

2. In an airplane, a motor, a plurality of propellers each provided with a hydraulic motor, hydraulic transmission system for said propeller motors including a pump M driven by said motor, a high pressure line, a

pressure valve, a low pressure line, and independent control means operatively connected with each of said propeller motors and in terposed in parallel between said high and 415 low pressure lines, said control means includ ing a four-way valve for reversing one or more of said propeller motors at will.

In an airplane having a centrally disposed fuselage and laterally extending wings, 5 a plurality of propellers each provided with a hydraulic motor supported on said Wings remote from said fuselage, and a hydraulic transmission system for said propeller motors, including a centrally disposed pump and as a driving motor, a high pressure line, a low pressure line and pressure valve, and independent control means in said fuselage operatively connected with each of said propeller members and interposed in parallel between to saidhigh and low pressure lines.

Signed at Lima, 0., this 30 day of Aug.

1928. I JOHN D. RAUCH. 

